Loose-leaf holder



Ma? 22, 1945? l.. w. EVANS I 2,376,423

LOOSE-LEAF HOLDER ,Filed Sept. 9, 194:5Y

Patented May 22, 1945 v. i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Looser-LEAF Homan Luther W. Evans, Richmond, Va. Application September 9, 1943, SerialNm 501,717

`(ol. 12e-s) l 4 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in looseleaf holders.

HAn object of the present invention is to-improve the construction of loose-leaf holders and to provide a simple, practical, and eicient looseleaf holder of strong, durable, and comparatively inexpensive construction capable` of holding a plurality of loose leaves or papers and the like, and adapted to expose a maximum portionof the papers to enable their contents to be readily examined without removal from the loose-leaf holder. A

Another object of the invention is to provide a Hloose-leaf holder of this character adapted to enable loose leaves to be `readily placed in and removed from the holder and capable of affording ready access to any particular leaf or sheet of paper contained within the holder and enabling the same to be removed from the holder without releasing or removing other sheets from the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a loose-leaf holder comprising a base having spaced tubular posts for normally holding the loose leaves or sheets of paper and a conning' member bridging the space between the posts and provided with fingers projecting into and engageable with the posts for retaining 'the said member in its loose leaf conning position and also adapted in its removal from the posts to receive and hold a portion of the contents of the looseleaf holder when it is desired to remove an intermediate loose leaf or sheet from the holder or place in the holder additional sheets at an intermediate point between the top and bottom sheets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a loose-leaf holder which may be adjusted in length to arrange it for reception of sheets of, desired width.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a loose-leaf holder constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of the holder.

Fig. 3l is an enlarged detail perspective view o one end of the holder, a. plurality of loose leaves being shown in dottedlines.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the construction of the base and the loose leaf confining member when the same are composed of adjustable sections for varying the length of the holder. i

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the loose-leaf holder, which may be constructed of metal, plastics, or a combination of the same, or other suitable material, comprises in its construction a narrow oblong base I provided at its ends with vertical tubular posts `2 rising from the base and preferably of cylindrical form. i

The narrowoblong base, when constructed in accordancewith Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawing, -consists of a relatively thin strip of material having flat upper and lower faces and the tubular posts, which receive and normally hold loose leaves 3, may be formed integral with i the vbase or be rigidly fixed to the same in any other desired manner and they may also be constructed of the same material as the base or any other suitable'material. When the tubular posts are cylindrical as shown `in the drawing, the

. ends of the base are preferably rounded and conform to the contour of the posts.

The loose leaves are provided with apertures as illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing to enable them to be placed in the holder with the posts extending through the apertures which are designed to be punched in the usual manner to fit snugly the loose leaf receiving posts.

The loose leaves are confined in the holder Aon i the tubular posts by means of a loose leaf retaining member 5 which bridges the space between the posts and rests upon the upper4 ends of the posts and engages the same interiorly thereof.

The loose leaf confining member which may be constructed of any suitable material may be conveniently made of resilient wire or similar material and it is provided adjacent 4each terminal portion 6 with fingers 1 consistingof substantially V-shaped resilient compressible bends, the sides. of which engage the interior` of the tubular posts at opposite sides thereof for maintaining the retaining member in engagement with I the posts.

projects from the inner surface of the tubular post and these lips are arranged to engage serrations or teeth 9 formed on the outer sides of the V-shaped fingers and shouldered at their upper portions and beveled below the shoulders to enable the V-shaped fingers to slide downwardly over the lip without resistance or obstruction and to enable the teeth of the fingers to engage the lips of the tubular posts for securely holding the ngersi-n thersockets formed by the-,tubular posts to prevent accidental Vremoval ordisplacement of the loose leaf retaining member.

The terminal handle portions 6 of the retain,

ing memberv enable said member to be readily grasped at each end and to be compresse'dsufciently to permit its ready withdrawal. from the tubular posts, and, when the loose leafretaining member is removed to permit additional loose leaves to be placed in the holder or for the-removal of a loose leaf or sheet contained within the-holder, a por-tion of the contents of thefholfder may be removed withl the' loose leaf retaining member'to-al'ord access tofthe desiredf' loose' leaf orV sheet and the resilient ngers are adapted to enable-the removed sheetsV to be, maintained Vin their assembled' relation and*Y to beY readily returned to the base of the loose leaf holder when desired.

while the base and the rerainingfmemter areAA showngaseach being made of a-n single piece ofi material,` they may, as illustrated i-n- Fig; 4 of the' drawing, be composed. 'of telescopic sections and be adjustable for varyingttneziengtn of the loosel leafL holder for arranging' "the same to receive sheets'of paperv of the desired width.

When the loose-leaf holder isv made adjustable, one section |10 'of' the base-is preferably provided with a gudeway formed by4 side-flanges H exv,tending upwardlyy and" inwardlyv to'-l fornr opposite grooves for the reception of they side edges of the`| section |52'. The retaining member; when adinstable, preferably consists off atnbularsection y F32 andi a,` solid-l round section I'lwhich` arey adaptedto telescope .but any' other suitable slidably connectedl sections may be employed for provid' ing. anadjlstable loose-leaf'holder'.

Whatis claimedis: l z 1. A loose-leaf holder" comprising a base/provided with spaced tubular posts extending upj wardly from the base and adapted to receive apertured loose leaves or the like, and a loose leaf retaining member of resilient material bridging between the.- posts and bent at the terminal portions to form resilient compressible fingers extending into the posts and consisting of loops havingzspaced sides connected at their lower ends and engaging the posts interiorly thereof, said lingers being provided' with means'for' interlocking the ngers with said projections'ofthe posts.

3'. A loose-leaf holder comprising a base vprovided with spaced tubular posts extending upwardly from the base and said.v postsbei'ngprovided with inwardly projecting lips, and a loose leaf retaining' member bridging the space-between the posts andy supported` upon the same and' provided with depending ngers extending into.; the

posts and' consisting of approximately V-shaped bends having shoulderedl teeth engageable with said lips for confining the ngers in theposts.

4'. A. loose-leaf' holder comprising a: baseprovided with spaced vertical 'tubular postsf` having projections extending interiorl'y' of the posts; and

a. loose leaf confining memberv consisting of a single: piece .of resilient. wire. bridging the space between the posts and. bent at the terni-inalportions to form resilient compressible ngers extending into: thel posts and consisting;ofV loops having spaced sides connected at their low-er1" ends andv engaging the posts interiorly'thereof and' provided with` means: or interlocking the fingers with said projections of' they posts; said, loose leafy retainingi member havin-g terminar portions projecting beyond the posts and; forming handles or grins. i

LUTHER w. EVANS# 

